


Daughter of Durin

by TheDerpyPony



Series: Daughter of Durin [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Durincest, F/M, Fili/Kili - Freeform, LOTR, M/M, New Sibling, Romance, Sexual Content, Sibling Incest, Sibling Love, Sibling Rivalry, The Hobbit - Freeform, fili - Freeform, kili - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-01-07 04:04:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1115280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDerpyPony/pseuds/TheDerpyPony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate version of Peter Jackson's/J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit introducing a third sibling, a sister-daughter of Thorin. The first daughter of Durin to be born in centuries, Vís is the youngest child of the sister of Thorin and joins her brothers in Thorin's company. As the most highly sought after hand amongst the dwarves, it seems Vís has turned her attentions to a suitor a little closer than expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Half Past Seven

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all -- this is my first major work that I'm sure has tons of problems with it, but believe me, this story is literally writing itself! I've never been more enthusiastic about any other piece! I apologize for the rather dry first chapter, but I do intend to make this dramatic, smart, and steamy, especially for all you fellow Durincest shippers out there. Tags are for future chapters coming up shortly.

“Are you sure this is it?” A soft voice uttered. The night was quite still, heavy with the warmth of early summer. Smoke from hearth fires swirled through the thick air and crickets chirped in the greens. Somewhere in the distance the sound of children laughing and faint music could be heard. But beneath the comfortable haze there was a sense of apprehension, an air of excitement that seemed contained within the Shire. It was the kind of disquiet that could only signal the beginning of something important. Fili and Kili could feel it in their bones, the significance of it all weighing on their souls. This night would usher in the beginning their journey, the start of their adventure together...and it could very well lead them to their end. 

The voice persisted, quiet and urgent. “Kili, check it once more. This doesn’t seem right...” 

“I’m sure, alright?” Kili snapped, turning to his skeptic and frowning, “Do you see that mark there? Just beneath the handle?---” 

The young dwarf girl he turned to had opened her mouth to retort, indignant at being belittled.

“---That means this is the right place. Mahal, Vis...don’t you remember anything Gandalf told us?” he sighed in agitation. Vis quickly shut her little mouth with a snap, but her large brown eyes revealed her impatience and shone with a silent defiance. Fili placed a quieting gloved hand on her shoulder, deterring her from speaking again.

Kili turned from his younger sister with a roll of his eyes and turned instead to face the beautiful green front door in front of them. To the side of the door there was a string for the bell, which he pulled. With no answer he and Fili rapped once, then twice, on the door and stepped back. Vis stood between her two brothers, quite unsure of what to expect. 

Fili and Kili had told her most of what they knew of Mister Baggins and the company, but she, as well as they, truly had no idea what would happen once they showed up. Gandalf had told them to arrive no later than half past seven: just before dinner and just after dark. Gandalf had stressed the importance of maintaining a high degree of secrecy about their business, as it would not do for a sizable group of dwarves to be seen traveling the countryside together. As warriors, Fili and Kili well understood the benefits and importance of traveling under the cover of darkness, but Vis in her naive ways, did not. As a rare daughter of Durin’s line, Vis was treasured by their mother and people alike and was absolutely expected to act ever the lady -- although dwarves have quite a different opinion of what defines a “lady” than others. In fact, there wasn’t much of a difference between the sexes. Vis would someday sport a beard herself, of course, it wouldn’t be nearly as splendid as her father’s or grandfather’s, even in her evening years, but it would be something. Perhaps hers would not grow further than the stubble her brothers sported, young as they were. 

She looked for a moment at the two young dwarf brothers standing on either side of her. With his mane of tangled blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and demanding presence, Fili looked every bit the princeling he was. Although not a direct descendant of the line of Durin -- their Uncle, Thorin Oakenshield, carried that burden -- as a sister-son of the king, it was entirely possible that someday Fili would become King Under the Mountain. As a potential successor to his uncle, Fili upheld several responsibilities that were not allotted to Kili, her other brother -- the youngest male of the line of Durin. These additional responsibilities of education, attending council, and advanced military training had hardened Fili. Where Fili was reserved and cautious, Kili was cheerful and care-free. Fili was disciplined and Kili was wild. Both were immensely skilled in sword and bow respectively, and were every bit the warriors they looked. Together, they made a strapping pair. 

She turned to look at her second brother, feeling a slight flutter in her belly that had been there for as far back as she could remember knowing him. Unlike his brother and sister, Kili sported shorter brown hair and very dark eyes. His beard was not as mature as Fili’s and was really nothing more than a few whiskers by dwarven standards. His attractive angular face and highly set ears were unusual features for a dwarf, making him the object of many young dwarf maidens’ desire. It also seemed to cause debate over his true parentage; for he was so fair he couldn’t possibly be of a single dwarf bloodline, it was whispered. Thus, Kili had become the subject of several rumors suggesting his mother was an elven princess from the lands beyond or perhaps a beautiful river maiden from Lake Town. However much nonsense it was, Vis could understand from his appearance why there might be doubt over her brother’s heritage. The flutter she felt in her belly whenever she looked upon his fair face was proof enough of that.

Just then the beautiful round green door swung open before them and revealed the most peculiar looking creature Vis had ever seen. He stood a head shorter than Fili and Kili, hardly taller than she herself. His charming face bore an unpleasant frown that hardly matched the wizard’s description of him. He wore a delightful patched robe of which two hairy legs stuck out, and at the ends of them the biggest furriest feet she had ever seen. They were nearly as large as a man’s! She stood dazed in the pooling light of the hobbit’s foyer, forgetting her manners entirely as her brothers introduced themselves to the flustered hobbit.

“Fili.” said the brother to her right, “and Kili”, said the one to the left. Then they bowed low and recited in unison, as they had thousands of times before, “at your service.”

After they straightened, Vis bowed hurriedly and rather rudely to her host, extremely embarrassed by her scrambled wits. “And Vis as well.” 

Kili clapped a hand on her shoulder then smiled at the hobbit. “You must be Mister Baggins!” Mister Baggins seemed hardly to notice her lack of manners, however.

The poor little man in front of them looked even more flustered than Vis, “Nope you can’t come in, you’ve come to the wrong house!” 

As he began to close the door on them Kili reached out in panic and grabbed the door, thrusting it back inward. 

“What?” He asked in disbelief, “has it been cancelled?” 

Fili looked from his brother to the hobbit, “no-one told us!”

Vis looked from the hobbit to her brothers then back again, very confused.

“No, no nothing’s been cancelled---” the hobbit began when Kili interrupted him, pushing his way into the hobbit’s foyer. 

“Well that’s a relief!” 

Fili pushed inside after him and Vis followed promptly.

“Careful with these,” Fili smirked as he emptied his multitude of weapons into Mr. Baggins’s arms, “I just had ‘em sharpened.”

Once inside, the hobbit hole was much bigger than Vis had imagined. She looked to the left and then to the right, there seemed to be a hallway leading off in every direction with several rooms branching off each, in turn leading to more hallways. The home was furnished with lovely wooden chairs and tables, books and papers cluttered corners, and lovely chandeliers hung from the paneled ceilings. As she looked around her heart began to lighten and her anxiety eased. What a lovely little home this was. 

“It’s nice, this place,” she heard Kili say, her brother voicing her own thoughts, “did you build it yourself?”

As she turned to properly introduce herself to their host she saw Kili wiping his boots on what looked to be an antique wooden glory box. Her grimace nearly mirrored Mister Baggins’s, but not in astonishment at her brother’s behavior -- most dwarves were not accustomed to having impractical objects in their homes and did not appreciate such things. A box was a box to them, no matter how old or beautifully carved it may be. Vis had spent more than enough time with their mother to have found a respect for beautiful things, although true to her dwarven nature, it was a limited appreciation. Afterall, it was only necessary to remove the mud from beneath one’s boots after a long journey.

As Mr. Baggins continued to bicker at Fili and Kili about draping mud all over his carpets, Vis was suddenly wrenched into an unmerciful, bone-crushing hug. A tall, robust dwarf lifted the little she-dwarf off her feet and nearly squeezed the life from her, laughing heartily. 

“Hello...Mister...Dwalin...” she choked, although she was grinning from ear to ear. He laughed again and set her down, pinching her cheek teasingly as he had done when she was just a little dwarfling. 

“There’s the pretty lass, oh it’s good to see ya, Vis. Here’r yer brothers, now!” Dwalin chuckled, clapping Kili on the shoulder and pulling him around towards the dinning room. “Fili, Kili, com’on, give us a hand!”

Kili laughed and grinned at Dwalin, greeting him with as much affection as his sister had. 

“Mister Dwalin...” He said in the same way he might have said, ‘well, I’ll be!’ None of Dis’s children had seen Dwalin for several decades; not since he had left their settlement in the Blue Mountains with their Uncle, Thorin, to accompany him on one of his quests. Proud, brave, and tall for a dwarf, Dwalin was an intimidating figure. He was fiercely loyal to their Uncle and was respected by all as a great warrior. It was a joy and a relief to see him alive and well. As they talked and joked with each other, Fili and Vis followed them into the dinning room to find another dwarf already there. 

Balin, son of Fundin, son of Farin, and elder brother of Dwalin, was one of Thorin’s oldest friends and closest advisors. Before Thorin, he had accompanied the siblings’ grandfather, Thrain, on his mad quest to return to the Lonely Mountain. He came to live in the Blue Mountain Settlement shortly after Vis was born. When he wasn’t attending to town business or advising Thorin, he spent much of his free time telling the little princelings stories and filling their heads with the wonders of the old kingdom, of which they were too young to remember. The three of them remembered him fondly, especially Fili and Kili.

Balin nodded and smiled a greeting to the siblings, “Alright lads and lass, let’s move this into the hall,” he motioned to a rather large decorative trunk, “otherwise we’ll never get everyone in.”


	2. Mischief and Mayhem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I apologize for the dry chapter. There's a lot to set up with these characters, especially Vis since she's a totally new addition. Though you all know Fili and Kili well enough already, I'm sure! Enjoy. I promise the next chapter will get a bit more… intimate. ;)

As the dwarves arrived one by one they each contributed their own share of mischief to the mayhem that was becoming the unexpected party. Vis watched as the the hobbit bobbed around the feasting dwarves, trying in vain to salvage the last of his remaining food before his guests emptied his pantry: “Excuse me— that’s my chicken— wait, now that’s my wine! …Where are you going with that? Now just a moment—” 

Vis couldn’t deny how amusing the hobbit’s excitement was and smiled in the glow of the fire, enjoying the company of her kin. The sight was truly something to behold: fourteen dwarves crammed into the tiny dinning room of a respectable hobbit hole, eating and drinking in the manner of pigs. There wasn’t a frown to be seen as the merriment escalated, due mostly to Mister Baggins’s excellent stores of Ale, which of course had been mostly emptied. Vis sipped from her own mug and was trying to understand something Oin was shouting at her from across the table where he sat with Kili. To her right Dwalin sat, guffawing at one of Gloin’s many raunchy stories. Vis had heard this particular one before, several times in truth; it was one of Gloin’s favorites and he always told it once he’d had too much to drink. In fact, every time he told the story he added one more maiden to the total he had supposedly bedded. Vis had caught on just as Gloin was finishing up his trademark tale.

“An’...An’ then she sta’ted takin’ ‘er clothes off....an’ I said, darlin’ you best be quick ‘bout it ‘er else i’m gonna hafta rip ‘em off...” at that both Dwalin and Gloin laughed boisterously and dipped their heads back to empty their cups. Gloin belched loudly and set his mug down with a bang on the table, though it was hardly noticed amongst the noise in the room. 

“Believe me, Dwalin....teats like yer wouldn’t believe....” Gloin guffawed to himself and held his hands out over his breast in two cupping motions. 

Dwalin clapped him on the back roughly, “Aye, like I wouldn’t believe....ah but ya ain’t the only dwarf in this hall to feel the soft flesh of a she-dwarf’s breast!” 

At that a multitude of cheers rose up and the dwarves clanked their mugs together, sloshing ale everywhere. At that moment Fili jumped atop the table with several full mugs clutched in his fingers, “Who wants an ale?” Another uproar ensued as Fili handed the mugs out, “there you go, one for you— no, Dori,there’s no more—give off!” 

Vis knew in many cultures of Middle Earth this sort of talk and behavior would be abominable in the presence of a lady. It was even a bit of an aberration amongst her own people regarding high born dwarrowdams, but they were not at home where the court’s customs must be followed and dwarves have a rather blunt perspective on everything, including the more...intimate aspects of their lives. Vis could recall several occasions when she was younger, of rather crude public displays of affection amongst her kin. One such memory occurred when she was in her early twenties. A wedding of a councilman had taken place that evening and the wedding feast was underway. Weddings were a rare occasion amongst dwarves, considering only a third of their population is female and most of that one third have little to no interest in marriage and bearing children. However, when there is a wedding, it is a better cause than any to celebrate. As she was sitting amongst her family at the high table in the great hall there was suddenly a loud commotion and she turned toward it to look. Amongst the common people she observed two dwarves lying on the table, one dwarrow and a dwarrowdam Vis recognized as one of her mother’s hand maids. They were making strange noises and movements, stripped nearly naked as their friends stomped their feet and banged the table in drunken encouragement. Vis remembered the fervor in which the lovers clawed at each other, the sweat pouring from their bodies, and the strange noises they made as they moved atop the table amongst bread and meat with the entire gathering looking on. As unpleasant as it all looked to Vis was slave to her own curiosity. She continued to watch, mesmerized, until her mother noticed what was happening and hurriedly whisked her away from the scene. 

Vis chuckled to herself at the memory, remembering the bliss of her naivety. Although she now knew a great deal more about the relations between dwarf and wife, it was still a rather vague concept to her. It had yet to manifest itself as a reality for her and wouldn’t until she came of age and was married. Despite their apparent disregard for propriety amongst their commoners, dwarves upheld a strict code of conduct amongst their royal families. Both princes and princesses were discouraged from having pre-marital relations as it was essential to maintain the integrity of line of Durin and to keep the royal bloodline as pure as possible. It seemed simple enough but it wasn’t often a female was born into the line of Durin, in fact it hadn’t happened for hundreds of years with the exception of her and her mother. Vis had several suitors fighting over her hand as she was coveted amongst the dwarrowlords as a rare chance to marry into the royal family. The promising of her hand was on the council’s agenda and there was much speculation and debate over whom she should marry. 

Fili plopped down in the recently vacated chair beside her, laughing like a mad man. She supposed he must have been very drunk at this point. Vis didn’t particularly mind so long as her brother didn’t try to bed one of their company or something of equal stupidity in his stupor. 

Vaguely listening as her brother began telling a story about his own prowess in brothels, Vis drummed her fingers on the table top absently as she thought of the troubles of home and the responsibilities she had left behind. Her lessons in propriety and the feminine way did not interest her nearly so much as the fighting exercises her brothers excelled in. Whilst they had schooled in the arts of swordplay and archery, Vis had learned etiquette, sewing, and other things of equal dullness. Her only consolation came in the secret archery lessons Kili had given her in the forest nearby their settlement. Under her brother’s instruction she developed her skill at arms and progressed rapidly. Their weekly practices became the only thing she looked forward to and she often drifted off during her lessons, relishing her next kill. Vis still remembered the first doe she ever brought down with immense fondness as her brother had been at her side to celebrate. Since then she had brought down a myriad of animals, all of which had had to be credited to Kili. Although it pricked her whenever he was praised for one of her kills, thanks to her brother, she had become nearly as skilled with a bow as he, though he would be the last to admit it. As she started to drift further into her thoughts of home she suddenly felt a hand atop hers and she looked down in surprise. Fili smiled at her and squeezed her smaller hand with his own callused one. 

“Feeling alright, Vis?” 

She met her brother’s familiar blue eyes and nodded, “of course, only a bit tired.” It was only half a lie. Their journey from the Blue Mountains to Hobbiton had been much longer and more tiresome than Vis would have liked. Weeks of traveling by boat up the Brandywine topped off by several days of walking had left them all quite exhausted. 

As Fili turned to continue his tale, Thorin leaned towards her across the table, his heavy eyebrows furrowed in a scowl. In a low voice which was completely unnecessary considering the ruckus going on around them he spoke: 

“Vis, you and I have some things to discuss before I get things underway here.” He cleared his throat importantly and Vis felt dread stirring in her belly, “I know you have considered the risks and weighed the odds. You know the dangers involved in this expedition as well as everyone else here. But I must ask you once more to reconsider.”

Vis felt her chest tighten and an old anger began to brew inside her. When she did not voice an answer, Thorin continued.

“Your mother begs me in her letters to send you back to the Blue Mountains. Although I agree with her, I tell her it is not my choice: It is yours.” Thorin met her eyes with a softness Vis had rarely seen in them before. 

“I will not send you back, Vis, if you refuse to go. But I ask you, not as your King, but as your Uncle. You are a daughter of Durin, my own sister-daughter. You are an invaluable member of the royal family, if anything should--” 

“I KNOW THE RISKS!” Vis shouted abruptly, a cry loud enough to halt the other dwarves in mid-conversation until all that could be heard was the crackling of the flames in the hearth. All eyes turned toward their end of the table. Even Gandalf, who was crouched in the corner entertaining the throng with his smoke rings stopped his show and peered curiously at them. Vis suddenly became aware of fifteen sets of eyes on her and for the first time since she’d arrived at Bag End, she felt uneasy. Her discomfort quickly turned to embarassment after realizing she had interrupted their festivities with her rude outburst and she felt her cheeks warming as a blush creeped up her face. 

The room remained silent for several seconds. When it seemed the silence had reached an unbearable tension, Vis was shocked when Thorin simply straightened and stood up, directing the attention onto himself. She had expected a severe tongue-lashing from her Uncle to ensue, which ordinarily he would have done, but it seemed Thorin sought to take advantage of the gathering’s newfound order. 

“My friends,” he began, a different sort of silence filling the void, a foreboding silence. “I have returned from travels in the Wilderlands. It is good to see you all safe and to partake in this merriment. However, there is business to attend to as I’m sure you have not forgotten.” 

Balin was the first to gather his thoughts, “What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?” 

“Aye,” Thorin answered, “Envoys from all the Seven Kingdoms.”

“And what did the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?” Dwalin joined, eager for good news, “is Dain with us?”

Thorin sighed and looked amongst the faces seated before him. “They will not come.”

Vis hung her head as her kin voiced their disappointment. Their last remaining hope of aid had been extinguished. They were alone in this, the fourteen of them. 

Thorin continued, “They say this quest is ours and ours alone.” 

Vis lifted her head to gage her brother’s reaction. Fili, whose face only a moment ago had been red with merriment and ale had been replaced by the scowl learned from their Uncle. It was the face of a burdened man, a troubled man... a man with responsibility. A leader. The similarity she saw reflected in her eldest brother was unmistakable and it frightened her. She lowered her gaze and deep in her gut something clenched.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we get introduced to Vis's angsty bratty side. I'm thinking about combining this and the previous two chapters together. It seems now like they didn't really need to be split up. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Gandalf and Thorin discussed the plans of their journey well into the night. The embers glowed dimly in the hearth as no move had been made to tend them for hours. Above their heads swirled the smoke from a dozen pipes, and the hobbit could be heard spluttering and coughing in the next room over as he cleaned the evening’s dishes. Even so, the party of dwarves was rapt with attention. Solemn and foreboding as the whole business was, Vis did her best to listen. Heeding her Uncle’s words she allowed a nod here and there and joined in with a “here, here!” or an “aye!” when appropriate. Her brothers had remained mostly silent throughout the discussion as well, leaving the more mundane talk to the elders, until at one point when morale seemed lowest Fili rallied:

“We may be few in number, but we’re fighters....all of us!”

He slammed the table with his hand to articulate his point, “to the last dwarf!”

“And you forget we have a wizard in our company!” Kili added, looking to Gandalf for further support, “Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!”

With these encouraging words from their princes the dwarves turned their attention to Gandalf, their eyes shining with rekindled hope and admiration. The grey wizard was swift to squander their spirits, however, and promptly removed his pipe from his lips to deny Kili’s claim. “Well now, I wouldn’t say that...” he began, clearly unsettled by the dwarves’ sudden scrutiny.

“How many then?” Dori piped up, “How many dragons have you killed?”

Gandalf’s hesitation brought forth a tidal wave of dwarven anger as most of the fourteen rose to their feet, shouting incoherent obscenities across the table. Beneath their anger Vis could sense her companion’s fear. It was suffocating, nearly as much so as the smoke that coiled around them. She suddenly felt the need for fresh air, to relieve herself of this terrible discussion and immerse herself in the peace the outdoors offered. She knew this was entirely out of the question, however, and remained in her seat.

It was Thorin who finally quieted them as he rose from his seat shouting, “No more!”

Those who had stood promptly quieted and sat down, their attention focused once more on their leader. Fili and Kili were among these and she caught her brother’s bitter last words, “Mahal damn him, he’ll kill us all...” she heard Kili mutter in Fili’s ear, “what use is the wizard to us now?” The older prince did not reply but his face was creased with worry. The rest of the party seemed to reflect Fili’s thoughts and they sat in near silence with their eyes on their leader. Tension filled the room as their King spoke of their homeland and its paramount importance. He spoke of their kind’s passion for gold and reminded them of the slimy worm that lay atop it, the worm who had torched their home and their brethren. Thorin had ended the discussion with a speech that raised their hopes again, reigniting their hunger for home and for their lost gold.

“Do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?!” He challenged his men, holding his fist in a display of strength. Fili and Kili stood, raised their mugs and shouted, supporting their uncle and encouraging their friends to do the same. All fourteen of them cheered, rising to their feet once more. 

Balin was quick to squander their hopes once more: “You forget, the front gate is sealed.” He continued as the company silenced, “there is no way into the mountain. The legends have said.”

As the evening wore on it seemed that the night’s business had not yet reached an end. The fire had spent entirely and the room was now lit only by a handful of candles. Once Gandalf had produced the key to the secret door leading into the Lonely Mountain, quite a bit of excitement had followed. Fili, Kili, and Vis watched as their uncle’s eyes widened with disbelief and something else that could easily be mistaken for greed. He had rounded on Gandalf then, demanding how the wizard had come by it and why he had not been informed of its existence sooner. Gandalf had replied with an equal passion, “I did not get hold of it. I was given it.” As an after thought he added, “by your father no less.”

He went on to explain how Thain had been found wondering in the wilderness and had given the key to Gandalf for safekeeping. Upon learning this the blaze in Thorin’s eyes had dimmed but he now regarded the wizard with an air of distrust, even as Gandalf placed the key in his hand. The dwarves marveled at it, it’s ancient presence commanding and absolute, even in the dim candlelight of the hobbit’s dinning room. In that moment with the exchange of the key, the future of the fourteen had been sealed.

After their lengthy discussion the dwarves filed one by one into the hobbit’s living room. The room was stuffed with fluffy arm chairs, sofas, and soft rugs for sitting and it was no time at all that the dwarves made themselves at home. They pulled out their pipes and the smell of tobacco filled the room once more. Smoke began swirling around their heads as they chatted quietly amongst themselves. Vis seated herself in a bay window farthest from the hearth. She pulled out her own pipe, a lovely cherry Ardor carved in the shape of a horse’s head and accented with silver kibilel. It had been crafted for her as a gift from her uncle Frerin many years ago and it remained her prized possession. As she packed the bowl with tobacco from a small pouch taken from her pocket, Kili sat down beside her, holding his own pipe in his mouth expectantly. 

“Mind if I try a trifle of that, namadith?” He grinned at her, revealing his pipe stem clenched between his teeth. Kili’s pipe was nothing to behold at a first glance. It was longer than her own and the mouth piece was straight rather than tapered. It was a plain briar lacking any precious metals or elegant carvings, but he cherished it even more than she did her own for it had supposedly once belonged to their father. Though he had no recollection of their father, Kili had said it was given to him when he was very young. Fili had been too young to remember as well but their mother had assured them of it’s authenticity. Their mother, Dis, hardly ever spoke of their father and when she did her voice was brimming with sadness something else that sounded very much to Vis like longing. Their mother had never told them what had happened to their father, where he was, nor even what his name had been. Thorin would not speak of him either and their numerous attempts to milk hints from him had all failed. 

While her brothers were convinced their father had been a high-born dwarrow lord who had died in battle or something of the like, Vis privately suspected that he was an exile of some sort. It seemed unlikely that their father’s identity or any discussion of him would remain such an anomaly were that not the case. The only hint she had ever encountered in relation to their father’s identity had come one rainy afternoon many years ago. During their daily sewing lesson, Vis had let her mind wander and as a result had absently stabbed her thumb with the needle. All her lessons in elegance and propriety had amounted to nothing in that moment as a string of exceedingly foul curses escaped her lips. Her mother had paused her own needlework in disbelief then looked at her daughter in disgust, rising from her seat to retrieve a cloth. As Vis nursed her thumb with her mouth her mother returned and promptly whipped her across the face with the cloth. 

“That filthy tongue of yours,” she had spat, “it is not becoming in the slightest. A lady should never swear, not even in pain. Don’t you forget your lessons again. Swearing is a nasty habit.”

Bending down, she wrapped the cloth around Vis’s thumb, grumbling, “I suppose you get it from your father, though ’s my fault for naming you in his sake. Ought to have known.”

At that age Vis had had little understanding of context and her mother’s clue was lost on her for years. She had never forgotten it, however, and it seemed likely now that her mother had contracted the “V” in her name from her unknown father’s name. The suffix of her name was quite obviously derived from her mother’s name, “Dis” so that left the mysterious origin of the “V”. In truth she had never really given much thought to it’s significance, not even after her mother had let slip what a brighter dwarf would have pieced together much sooner. Despite this discovery, Vis had kept the information secret from her brothers and was reluctant to share it with them in a hope to spare them disappointment. In her opinion, it would not do to shatter her brothers’ vision of their revered and beloved faceless father should they discover his true identity amounted to something far less valiant.

“Absolutely not,” she smiled as she tucked her pouch back into her pocket, “you won’t get any more out of me tonight. Mayhaps Dori or Ori can help you. Go pester them.”

He sat motionless beside her and she purposely kept her eyes fixated on her pipe bowl as she lit it, very aware of her brother’s begging eyes. The leaves glowed softly as the flame from her match caught, casting an orange glow across her features. She felt her brother’s hungry gaze and found she could not resist the temptation to look. His face was mere inches from hers. His eyes were closed as he inhaled deeply, taking in the stark scent of the burning leaves. Vis puffed calmly on her pipe, thankful for the familiar sensation of tobacco as it filled her lungs and eased her nerves. Her brother rarely made her uncomfortable but whenever he disregarded her personal boundaries it created an intimacy between them that she was never prepared for. Kili’s angled eyes opened slowly and locked onto her almond shaped ones, two shades of brown reflecting one shade of desire. Her blush deepened at the apprehension between them. Feeling terribly awkward, she released her lips from the pipe and puckered them slightly to exhale the smoke, relishing the taste as it flowed over her tongue and out of her nostrils. Her brother’s eyes angled toward her mouth and Vis felt her stomach flutter as he leaned in, her pulse pounding in her ears. She was shamefully disappointed when his lips closed around her pipe rather than her mouth and all at once she felt relieved and in effect rather foolish. He grinned up at her from beneath his lashes as he took in more than his share of tobacco, puffing greedily. His drags were swift and strong and when he straightened he pushed the smoke from his lungs directly into her face. If the afore tension had not muddled her brains she may have enjoyed his jest but instead she shooed him away, coughing and flustered and a bit light headed.

Laughing, her brother rose from his seat beside her then settled down closer to hearth next to Fili to bother him for another share of tobacco. It was then that Thorin began to sing. It was a sad and lonely tune, one the entire company had heard and recited a hundred times over. The song told of their lost homeland and the dragon’s defilement of Dale and Erebor: the song of the Misty Mountains. The words of the dwarrow’s hymn were haunting and the sorrow of what was lost on them all permeated the comfort of the hobbit’s home. As the air grew steadily thicker with smoke and song her spirits dampened and the reality of their journey and what it signified weighed heavily on her heart.

—

By the time Gandalf had finally bid the company goodnight Vis felt she would surely drop from exhaustion. Once they had smoked their last pipes of the night and the singing had subsided, poor Mister Baggins had scrambled to find room for them all. He had employed all his spare rooms and eventually resorted to fabricating beds out of chairs and sofas and a variety of other things until every dwarf had a comfortable place to sleep. Originally he had arranged for Thorin, Fili and Kili to share one of the spare bedrooms as it seemed fitting to sleep the royalty together. It appeared he had altogether forgotten Vis until she asked him politely where she would be sleeping that night. She had startled him with the question and it appeared to Biblo that - all things considered - it might be best to room her with her brothers, even if it did serve as a bit inappropriate in his opinion. Besides, Thorin had been quite insistent on having his own chambers.

As the hafling ushered the dwarven princes and princess down a hallway he stopped at the last door on the right, producing a key from his pocket. He placed it into the lock and opened the door onto one of the smallest bedrooms the dwarrow siblings had ever seen. Crammed together inside was a bed of decent size, a small bedside table, a writing desk, and an oversized wardrobe. Fili and Kili both looked at the hobbit with raised eyebrows and Bilbo scrambled, “my apologies sirs- I…I mean, your majesties, this is the only remaining room. Thorin of course gets the best room...down the hall there, and your friends are literally stacked on top of each other in the other rooms...”

Fili clapped a hand on his shoulder, “it is a bit small but we will manage. Thank you, Mister Baggins. Goodnight to you.” 

Bilbo bowed hurriedly to the princes, clearly still bewildered by the events of the evening. The gesture was awkward and rushed but it seemed he had recalled his manners. “Very good, goodnight Master Fili, Master Kili...my lady.” He nodded to Vis who smiled in return. Bilbo closed the door behind him quietly and they heard him make his way back down the hallway, spluttering about dwarfish nonsense and his ruined carpets. 

Kili was the first to claim the bed. “Ahhh,” he sighed as he fell backwards onto it and stretched out his arms, “how good it is to lay down on something soft again.”

Fili however, turned to Vis as he shrugged out of his heavy overcoat, “Namad, you’ve been rather quiet tonight aside from that outburst at dinner earlier. What on earth was that about?” 

Vis sat down on the bedside table and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. “Uncle asked me to reconsider...again.” 

She knew the resentment was evident in her voice and she felt her defenses beginning to build. Vis had grown weary of her kin doubting her. Even her own brothers seemed to doubt her. Their ambiguity on the matter angered her and the thought of being sent back like spoiled cheese made her blood boil. She was tired of being regarded as a burden instead of an asset. She could shoot a bow just as well as Kili and she had excellent wit and a charm about her that had certainly proved useful before. She was certain that she could fend for herself and she meant to prove it to them. Fili sensed her frustration and approached her as gently as he could, “Namadith...”

As he spoke her pet name she raised her eyes to meet his, however the gesture was not a plea for pity, Vis meant it as a challenge. She arched her back slightly and lowered her arms to grip the edges of the table: a better position in which to reach the knife sheathed at her hip. Her eyes blazed with exasperation and anger. She did not want to be comforted, she wanted to be respected. “I have just as much right to be here as you and Kili.” 

“Yes, but should you be here?” Fili’s words were gentle but his sister’s subtle defiance was not lost on him. It was not a fact that had been left unconsidered. By birth, Vis possessed the same rights as any descendant of Durin including himself and Kili. The reluctance did not lie there, it did not even lie exclusively in her sex or her apparent lack of skill with arms - only her brothers knew of her prowess in archery. It was her immaturity and lack of experience that was the true cause for concern. Most of their company were seasoned warriors, young and old, and all had at least some experience of the wild and an education of the world beyond their settlement. This was a dangerous journey they were soon to embark on filled with perilous travels and formidable foes that would surely either maim or kill a number of them. No-one wanted the guilt placed on them for his sister’s demise. He and his brother knew of their companions' doubts but neither one had denied Vis of her right to accompany them. This was their family’s quest, their family’s chance for vengeance against the worm who destroyed their ancestral homeland. To be fair he both had protested in the beginning, quite heavily in fact, but Vis would not be moved and her obstinance eventually held out against his own and he had yielded. He would not yield now, however. Fili was truly a gentle soul, albeit a meticulous and stubborn one, but he would not tolerate challenges to his authority. Although Vis was his sister and he felt nothing but affection for her, as a named heir to the throne of Durin, he was her superior and that title demanded respect. He stopped his advance which had been meant purely as a gesture of kindness and instead narrowed his eyes, his gaze never wavering from his sister's face.

“That’s not for you to decide.” Vis snarled softly, her eyes locked on her eldest brother’s. Never had Vis so blatantly challenged Fili’s authority and for long moments the air was thick with tension. Observing them with caution, Kili looked anxiously between his two siblings: their intense stares reflecting the same hunger for dominance, neither willing to relinquish their pride. His brother and sister truly were one in the same. Aside from the same fair hair both were exceedingly stubborn and rather short-tempered. By contrast, Kili was easier to suede and his arguments tended to be rare and short-lived, but Mahal help whoever dared tug one of siblings' tails. However, the worst of it was when they went at each other like this, engaging in a true battle of wills. In spite of the circumstances, he regarded them in that moment as they truly were: two young dwarves who were equally headstrong and equally beautiful.

With her hot head and long blond hair that tumbled down her back, his sister was an alluring albeit frustrating creature, everyone agreed. Although she shared the same temperament and fair hair as her eldest brother, and the wit and charm of her youngest, her eyes were entirely her own. Much unlike Fili's deep blue eyes or Kili's own smoldering brown, she donned a beautiful amber pair which shone like gold when caught in sunlight. She was fair of face and small but solid in stature. Her voice pitched higher than that of an ordinary dwarrowdam and her lack of a beard confirmed her youth. Alas, it was no surprise that every eligible suitor from the Blue Mountains to the Iron Hills entertained an interest in her hand. She would soon be wed to one of them in a bid for political favor. The thought made something unpleasant stir in Kili’s belly and he hurriedly brushed it aside.

“Fili, Vis...please, the day has been long and wearisome. It’s time to rest. Must we discuss this matter now?” He pleaded, but neither of his siblings appeared to hear him and instead continued their muted battle at length.

“You seek our respect and acceptance as an equal,” Fili stated, finally breaking the agonizing silence, “yet you’ve done nothing to prove yourself as such. You have disrespected our king, your own uncle, in front of the entire company and our host. You disrespect me, your own brother and named heir to the throne. You are fortunate to have escaped punishment for such discourtesy and disservice toward your superiors. Your rash behavior continues to shame us. You are a child, Vis.”

His blue eyes flashed with an unquestionable authority that began to wear down Vis’s boldness.

“And there is no place for a child in this company.” He finished harshly.

Vis absorbed the blow as she had been taught to: with dignity and grace. As she reluctantly accepted defeat she slowly lowered her gaze to the floor. Remorse welled up inside her at brother’s words, severe they were but she knew their truth. Her pride had proved a hinderance to her cause and her lack of restraint had angered her uncle and her beloved brother. She felt ashamed.

“I’m going for a walk.” Fili announced after a short silence and he shrugged back into his overcoat. Vis kept her eyes lowered and did not raise them until the the door had slammed shut and sound of her brother’s heavy boot steps had faded.

When she finally did look up again Kili was studying her from the bed with a mixed expression of frustration and concern. Slowly, Vis released her grip on the bedside table and stood up, avoiding her remaining brother's eyes. It seemed Fili’s words had struck harder than she had originally thought. Vis had heard and tolerated many insults but the accusation of being a child was all too new to her. She had been treated as one for her entire life and before now she had never considered it inadequate. She had been cared for by others ever since her birth — every whim attended to, every wish granted — by her mother, brothers, uncles, and servants. She knew of nothing else. As she unbuttoned her coat she turned to her remaining brother, her voice soft and sad, “Kili...am I a child?” 

Kili regarded her for a moment then shook his head, “No, Vis, I don’t think so....but you are a bit of a brat.” 

He grinned at her, attempting to ease the tension still heavy in the room. Kili had watched the intense albeit short argument -- a style unusual for his siblings, as their arguments typically lasted for hours -- and privately applauded his brother’s handling of the situation. They both loved Vis dearly but after her behavior tonight she had needed something to ground her. Fili’s scolding appeared to have reminded her of her place as well as extinguish the flames she'd been harboring all evening. His gesture seemed to work and in spite of herself his little sister returned the smile, tossing her coat onto the bed and getting to work on removing her heavy boots. Kili couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched his sister struggle out of her boots; hopping around comically in the tiny amount of space. She eventually lost her balance and collapsed onto the bed, letting out an amused cry that was followed by a fit of laughter. Kili thought there was almost a madness to it as she carried on ridiculously. She rolled over onto her belly, still laughing, and looked up at him as she kicked off her last boot. “Of course I’m not a child, what am I thinking? I’m a woman flowered.” 

Kili felt something knot in his belly again at her words and he looked away from her, a familiar confusion rearing its head. He knew what he should think, of course: that the information she had just relayed was obvious and hardly something he as her brother should concern himself with. But the truth was that it did interest him. In fact, now was not the first time he had been regardful in his sister’s reproductive state. A decade or so ago was when he first observed her changes. It was while altering his sister’s stance during one of their secret archery lessons that he had noticed something was different. Her hips had widened, her face had refined, and her breasts had grown. As he stood behind her and took in the freshly-noted fragrance of her hair he felt something stir bellow his belt. He had immediately shied away from her, his face flushing red with feelings of shame coursing through his body. He had denied it for days, months, years since but it was undeniable: if only for a moment, he had desired her. It was not the last time he would do so.

As he looked at her now, splayed out in front of him and radiating that golden beauty unique to his siblings he struggled with his craving. “Vis, I...”

She propped herself up on her elbows, regarding him curiously. Feeling his blush rise, Kili scarcely could help it when his eyes lowered to where her undershirt revealed the tops of her breasts peeking out through the laces of her undergarment. Her head cocked to one side slightly, a long lock of golden hair running down her shoulder to frame her lovely face. His darkened eyes rose to meet her beautiful golden ones and he swore by Durin’s beard he could see the pupils of her eyes widening - a foretelling of arousal. A new kind of tension filled the room and for long moments nothing could be heard but the sound of their breathing. Both sister and brother remained motionless with their eyes locked on the other’s, neither daring to move or speak. Kili suddenly took into consideration his vulnerable position on the bed. With his legs spread wide and his arms resting behind his head, Vis could be on him in a few quick moments if she had a mind to. The notion excited him and he felt the pounding in his ears subside as the blood flow moved downward. At that, Kili regained his senses and he shook his head to clear his mind, giving his brain a good rattle to rid it of his impure thoughts. To his relief, almost as quickly as it had flared, his desire subsided. 

They remained silent and motionless at length before Kili felt he ought to say something, anything to break the tension. “I think it’s high time we got to bed, eh?” he offered, sitting up and shrugging out of his own coat and boots.

His sister nodded in agreement, but Kili fancied he saw something like disappointment linger on her face before she lowered her gaze as well. 

“Yes, Kili, I think so.” She crawled up the bed and laid down beside her brother, slipping under the blankets. He noticed she had left a generous amount of space between them. Hiding his disappointment well, Kili unlaced and wiggled out of his outer shirt then for a moment considered removing his undershirt too, but decided against it. Leaning over the bedside table he blew out the candle then settled himself back against the pillows. 

He wasn’t sure what time it was when we woke but a shift in weight on the bed had roused him. As consciousness flowed back into him he became aware of something warm pressed against him. As he searched the darkness with bleary eyes, the faint moonlight shining through the window caught on a head of thick blond hair nestled against his chest. His first half-formed notion was Fili, and he made to push the body off until a soft feminine sigh rose from the mess of blond hair. For a moment he paused then regaining his wits, smiled, closed his eyes and drew her up closer to him. He felt her sleeping body initially tense then quickly relax and she nuzzled her face into the nape of his neck. Her warm presence was a welcome change from the lonesomeness of his usual sleeping rugs and he sighed in contentment, eager to lay aside the issues of today and forget the troubles that were to come.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili and Vis have a...moment. 
> 
> And something kind of bad-ish happens.

They made camp that night in a small clearing. 

 Once the ponies had been bedded down for the night and the cooking fires had dimmed to mere smoke and ash, the dwarves settled down into their nightly kinships. Despite occasional skirmishes over a dry patch of dirt, the bedding process was usually quiet and quick. Vis placed her sleeping rugs in the smoke trail of one of the smoldering fires, hoping to discourage insects from bothering her in the night. She didn’t mind the smoke, in fact she rather enjoyed it; the smell, the heat, the heaviness of it. Squatting beside the remains of the fire, she held open her rugs to allow the smoke to chase out any bugs remaining from the night before – a trick she learned from her brother Kili on one of their hunting trips. As she did so, she took the opportunity to gaze absently into the smoldering embers, quietly reflecting on their journey thus far. One day of riding and already she was exhausted. Her belly had started aching around mid-afternoon, long after Mister Baggins had rejoined the party in fitting dramatic fashion. Though she had won her wager with Kili regarding the hobbit's reappearance, the silver had brought her little joy as her stomach pain had continued to grow. Now, the pain was at its worst but she refused to mention it to anyone. The last thing she wanted to do was complain when her eldest brother was looking for any excuse to send her packing. Relations with Fili had hardly improved since their argument in the bedroom the previous night. As was usual when his siblings argued, Kili had been doing his best to mediate, but so far, his efforts had gone unrewarded. The day had been long and tiresome and Vis longed for it to be over.

The smoke curled around her small figure and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. She relished the smell of smoke. Its spicy earthiness burned her throat and lungs, momentarily distracting her from the pain. Its heaviness filled her with every inhale and she fancied with a stroke of amusement that she looked a bit like a basking dragon. 

"Rah!" 

Suddenly, she felt two hands dig into her shoulders and she nearly lost her balance, dropping her rugs in surprise. She heard the unmistakable twinkle of her brother's laugh behind her and she groaned with impatience. Before she could stand to face him, Kili dropped into a squat behind her, yanking her sleeping rugs from the ground and pulling them over her head. Startled, Vis let out a little cry and kicked out instinctively, but her brother tucked an arm behind her knees and swept her easily up into his arms. 

"For shame, namadith. We've got to work on these surprise attacks..." He laughed as she struggled against his chest. 

"I can't breathe, you arse! Let me out!" She coughed in the smokey darkness of the rugs and began to feel a bit faint. The coughing turned into a choking fit as she struggled to breathe. "Kili, let me ou–" 

SPLASH!

The shock of the cold water nearly stopped her heart. Her head broke the surface and she gasped for air, far too bewildered to be agitated. She blinked stupidly in the darkness and realized she had been dropped off of a small bank where Kili stood laughing at her. Through the darkness she could only make out his figure but the sound of his laughter alone was enough to infuriate her.

"What the hell, you arse!" She spat water as she shouted up at him. The bank wasn't very steep and the water hardly deep, but still, she was in no mood for pranks. The pain in her stomach returned and she channeled the pain into more anger, "why would you do that?"

Suddenly she heard and felt a loud splash a few feet from where she treaded water. She knew what it must be, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she waited for her brother's head to resurface. When it did she grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head back underneath the water, a revengeful lust filling her eyes. She grinned as he momentarily squirmed in her grasp but then felt a jerk and barely had time to pull in a breath as he grabbed her ankle and jerked her beneath the surface. Water rushed up her nose and burned through her sinuses. She could feel herself choking again and her agitation boiled over into anger as she resurfaced. She spat out a mouthful of water and angrily searched through the darkness for her brother. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed the reflection of the moonlight dancing gently across the creek's calm surface. She looked toward the bank and saw nothing but the faint glowing of the camp's cooking fires in the distance. Maybe he had gotten out and headed back to camp without her. She moved toward the bank when she felt a strong upwelling from behind her. Kili thrust himself out of the water and wrapped his arms around her in a tight grip, almost vice-like in strength, crushing her into him. 

Still incredibly bewildered, Vis choked out, "what...hell...brother...?" 

Kili clapped a calloused hand over her mouth and whispered in her ear, "I thought you could benefit from some self-defense exercises. Clearly I was right... you desperately need some practice." 

Vis furrowed her eyebrows at that and wiggled against his grip vainly. The effort made Kili laugh softly, "at least you had the sense to try to drown me when I jumped in after you. Though it still hasn't done you much go– OW!" 

He flung his hand from her mouth as she bit down on his palm - hard enough to draw blood. Taking advantage of his surprise, Vis whirled around in his arms and yanked his head back beneath the water. She watched with satisfaction as bubbles rose frantically from beneath the surface. Her grip on his hair tightened then relaxed when his hand flew up to grab her by the throat. His face emerged from below, spitting water and straining to see in the darkness. The streams of water running down his features shone in the moonlight, exaggerating them beautifully. As he continued to choke her, Vis noted with disturbed fondness the way the water droplets caught in his long dark eyelashes and in the scruff of his beard. She noticed the delicate yet masculine sharpness of his nose, the curvature of his lips that pressed into a scowl, the elegant furrowing of his brow. His beauty struck her, not for the first time, but certainly this time was the most intense yet. She could feel the initial anger and frustration ebbing away as her thoughts clouded. The pain in her belly seemed to have subsided too. She felt herself drifting into mindless bliss as his features became the focus of her thoughts. As his grip tightened on her throat, time seemed to pass slowly and she noticed with faint interest that he had removed his shirt. The water droplets that sprinkled his eyelashes and beard also dotted the dark hair on his chest. Had he done that before or after he jumped into the creek? She didn't know. 

"Stop it!" He cried, as if to settle the matter, and the sound of his voice pierced through Vis's clouded thoughts like an arrow.

He released the grip on her throat and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, settling back into the water so only his head and chin were visible above the surface. Vis felt the truce unnecessary because she no longer felt angry or bewildered. She actually felt... better. She looked at him oddly, her hands examining her throat, unsure what to think or do. What had come over her? Ordinarily she would have felt furiously towards her brother considering the minutes leading up to this moment, but strangely, she felt empty. It dawned on her that she had enjoyed his hands on her throat. She had enjoyed the blissful albeit brief state he had inadvertently forced her into. The heightened sense of reality and hypersensitivity had been elating. She could tell he sensed the change in her mood and the oddity of what had just occurred and lowered his hands beneath the water. He glided gently through the water toward her and stopped inches from her face. She noticed with delight that the droplets of water still rolled across his eyelashes. She watched one of them drop onto his cheek with a small splash and she felt her heart racing. She fancied the pounding in their chests created overlapping ripples that danced across the water's surface. For a long while, neither of them moved, neither willing to ruin the moment that had somehow manifested between them. They stood, frozen in their respective places until the creek water finally stilled around them, with only the occasional tadpole or fish disturbing the surface. Faint music and laughter from the camp could be heard in the distance but neither of them paid it mind. The sounds of the forest around them had long since faded to their ears as well. 

Kili was the one who moved first. Vis nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt the touch of his hand on her arm. 

"Sorry!" he breathed, apparently startled himself. His voice sounded unusually strained to Vis, as if he were out of breath. His voice sounded distant, faded, as if he hardly noticed he was speaking aloud. "Vis, I'm sorry..."

At the sound of his voice, reality rushed back to her so forcefully that it would have knocked her over if she hadn't been suspended in water. Her anger, her belly ache, the cold water soaking her clothes, everything. She snorted and rose up in the water, relieved to maintain her head above the surface and still feel the secure squish of mud beneath her toes. She rounded on him then, "I can fend for myself, thanks. There are other ways of getting my attention than flinging me into a creek, brother."

She wasn't sure what she meant by that last part, but it seemed fitting to say it. Apparently Kili was thinking the same thing because he had no response. She whirled around and trudged her way up onto the sandy bank, sitting up and wringing the water from her hair and clothes. Once she realized the later was a futile effort, she began relieving herself of the soaked clothing. As she pulled her long shirt over her head she felt her brother's eyes on her. She looked up and realized that he hadn't yet moved from his position in the center of the creek, only his head poking out above the surface.

"Well come on, then," she snorted as she stood up, pulling off her soaked boots and dumping the water out over the sandy bank. In the darkness it was hard to read his expression but Vis fancied she saw panic spread across her brother's face. She turned her back to him and struggled out of her leather leggings, a direct action that unwittingly contributed to his reluctance of removing himself from the creek. Standing there in her underthings, Vis turned back to her brother, who still sat lowered in the creek. She cocked an eyebrow at him, more bewildered than ever now. 

"What are you doing?" She asked, peering at him curiously and squatting beside the creek's shore. 

Kili lowered himself even further in the water as he weighed his options. If the moon had been brighter Vis would have surely noticed the intense flush in his cheeks. If he stood up now, he would be very embarrassed. If he remained in the creek he would have to invent an excuse for it. Which would make him look worse, ultimately? He gulped and palmed his erection nervously. Perhaps if he was quick...

Suddenly Vis groaned loudly and clutched her middle. She tucked her legs against her chest and rocked her body backwards and forwards, heels digging into the sand. Without thinking, Kili surged toward her, his protective instincts overriding his embarrassment. He lifted himself out of the water and pulled her up against his chest, cradling her petite figure against him. 

"What's wrong, did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, damp blond hair swaying, "no, tis just a belly ache."

He eyed her exposed midsection with concern and rested a palm on it. To his surprise, she seemed to welcome the contact, and relaxed against him, eyes closing. Kili was immediately suspicious. Had she eaten something on the trail perhaps she shouldn't have? A poisoned mushroom or berry? It was several moments before he was conscious of his erection again and felt a pang of annoyance that it hadn't receded despite the surge of fraternal instincts he'd just experienced. As he pulled Vis closer to comfort her, he quickly adjusted himself accordingly, praying she wouldn't notice. For several long moments they remained posed that way on the shore of the creek, dripping wet and half-naked, Kili holding his sister in his arms comfortingly and as innocently as could be intended. But as the moments passed, Kili and Vis fell under the same spell that had befallen them whilst they rough-housed in the creek. Time slowed and their thoughts clouded with conflicting emotions and yearnings. Unnatural yearnings and desires ran mutually though their minds. Without thinking, Kili felt his fingers trailing downward to the lip of his sister's undergarment. He half-expected her to protest the gesture, to tear herself from his arms and run, but she didn't. Instead, he felt her lips press against his throat. Wether the gesture was unconscious or meant to signify permission he didn't know, what he did know was that he wanted it to.

His fingertips trailed beneath the lip of her undergarment and flitted through a soft tuft of hair that he fleetingly imagined was blond. He felt his sister relax even further against him and shivered as her breath heated his chilled skin. He curled his fingers gently through the hair and further down toward what pure instinct both directed him to do and shamed him for doing. She groaned against him again, but this time not in contentment, but in pain. Kili immediately withdrew his hand, and in the moonlight, he saw the ominous and unmistakable glimmer of blood coating his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After two years...yeah. I know, I deserve a punch.
> 
> Bear with me as we work up to some delish smut.


End file.
